Rufous Hummingbird
Selasphorus rufus

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Aves
Order: Apodiformes
Family: Trochilidae
Genus: Selasphorus

Audio for Species

Call
Song

from Macaulay Library

Species Related Links

Additional Rufous Hummingbird Pictures

Description

Length: 2.8-3.5 in (7-9 cm) Weight: 0.071-0.176 oz (2-5 g) Wingspan: 4.3 in (11 cm)

The male's throat an iridescent rose red,with elongated feathers jutting out to the sides. The back of the head, back, backside, underside and sides are a red- orange. The neck under the chin mask is white.

The females are green above with rufous-washed flanks, rufous patches in the green tail, and often a spot of orange in the throat.

Habitat, Range, and Feeding

During migration they can be found in mountain meadows to an elevation of 12,600 feet. The Rufous breeds in open or shrubby areas, open forest areas and occasionally interiors of forests, yards, and parks, thickets, swamps, and meadows from sea level to about 6,000 feet. Nests are usually placed high in coniferous and deciduous trees to about 30 feet. The female builds the nest alone, the materials she uses are plant down and knitted with spider webs. She camouflages the outside with lichen, moss, and bark. The nests are about 2 inches across on the outside, with an inner cup width of about an inch. Nests may be reused the following year, bur not necessarily by the same bird. More than 20 nests have been found just a few yads apart in the same tree. The clutch size is 2 to 3 eggs that are white.

Feeds on flower nectar, and small insects.